Rendering The Word In Theological Hermeneutics: Mapping Divine And Human Agency (studies In Historical And Systematic Theology)

When interpreting Scripture, do we take an academic or a spiritual approach? Do we emphasize the human or the divine agency? Do we focus on man's authorship or God's inspiration? Mark Bowald argues that these are false dichotomies. We need to understand both the human qualities of Scripture and the divine, as an overemphasis on either will lead to distortions. In Rendering the Word in Theological Hermeneutics , Bowald surveys various schools of thought, explaining where they lose the balance between the two. He analyzes the hermeneutical methods of George Lindbeck, Hans Frei, Kevin Vanhoozer, Francis Watson, Stephen Fowl, David Kelsey, Werner Jeanrond, Karl Barth, James K. A. Smith, and Nicholas Wolterstorff. Bowald shows that we should view Scripture as equally human and divine in origin and character. And our reading of Scripture should involve both critical rigor and openness to the leading of God's Spirit. Intro -- Title Page -- Copyright -- Contents -- List of Figures -- Preface -- Acknowledgments -- Chapter 1: The Eclipsing and Usurping of Divine Agency in Enlightenment Epistemology and Their Influence on Scriptural Hermeneutics -- Kant's Proscriptions to Reason's Activity: Defining the Ideal Knowing Act -- Further Defining Kant's Critique of Antecedent Judgments with Special Attention to the Relationship of Human and Divine Agency -- Clearing the Modern Ground: The Eclipse of God's Agency -- The Hermeneutic Reversal: The Usurping of God's Agency -- Summary -- Chapter 2: A Triangle Typology: Mapping Divine and Human Agency in Contemporary Theological Hermeneutics -- The Triangle: Coordinating Divine and Human Action -- Type One: Human Agency in/through the Text of Scripture -- Type Two: Human Agency in the Reading and Reception of Scripture -- Type Three: Divine Agency in the Hermeneutics of Scripture -- A Clarifying Conversation with Four Other Typologies -- Summary: Looking Back and Looking Ahead -- Chapter 3: Type One: Human Agency in the Text -- The Evangelical Tradition -- The Early Hans Frei: The Eclipse of Modern Biblicism -- Kevin Vanhoozer: From General Hermeneutics to General Christian Hermeneutics to Divine Canonical-Linguistics -- Francis Watson: Negotiating Text, Church, and World -- The Implications of Type 1: Benefits and Detriments -- Chapter 4: Type Two: Human Agency in the Reading -- David Kelsey: Using Scripture -- The Later Hans Frei: The Emergence of Meaning in the Tradition -- Werner Jeanrond: Reviving the Critical Interpreter -- Stephen Fowl: The Community's Underdetermined Engagement with Scripture -- The Implications of Type Two: Benefits and Detriments -- Chapter 5: Type Three: Prioritizing Divine Agency: God's Agency in, with, and under Scripture and Its Reading -- Karl Barth: God's Word as God's Act Annotation When interpreting Scripture, do we take an academic or a spiritual approach? Do we emphasize the human or the divine agency? Do we focus on man's authorship or God's inspiration?Mark Bowald argues that these are false dichotomies. We need to understand both the human qualities of Scripture and the divine, as an overemphasis on either will lead to distortions. In Rendering the Word in Theological Hermeneutics, Bowald surveys various schools of thought, explaining where they lose the balance between the two. He analyzes the hermeneutical methods of George Lindbeck, Hans Frei, Kevin Vanhoozer, Francis Watson, Stephen Fowl, David Kelsey, Werner Jeanrond, Karl Barth, James K.A. Smith, and Nicholas Wolterstorff. Bowald shows that we should view Scripture as equally human and divine in origin and character. And our reading of Scripture should involve both critical rigor and openness to the leading of God's Spirit